'Major chemical explosion' kills, injures multiple people

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/05/26/washington-chemical-explosion-nippon-dynawave-injuries/90263015007/

Comments

CGMthrowawayMay 26, 2026, 10:09 PM
A pressurised tank (110 to 165 psi) ruptured, causing the accident. The chemicals involved are NaOH and sodium sulfide (white liquor) which is what is used to turn wood chips into pulp - and the source of the H2S smell that comes from paper mills
SilverElfinMay 26, 2026, 9:34 PM
Note: this is in Washington state not California, and is unrelated to the incident in the news the last few days, with people being evacuated in Orange County. This seems to be at a facility that creates paper products out of lumber.
blinkbatMay 26, 2026, 9:44 PM
related in the sense that US oversight, infrastructure, knowledge, and excellence is a thing of the past
s1artibartfastMay 27, 2026, 12:24 AM
People will "sense" whatever they want based on their fears and insecurities. Workplace deads have decreased steadily over time- never have things been safer.

They are about about 1/3 of the 1970's despite the US population increasing by 140 million.

jerlamMay 27, 2026, 2:17 AM
How much of the decrease is due to those dangerous jobs being outsourced to other countries, and the US becoming a service economy with office jobs?

How much of the decrease is due to safety organizations like OSHA that are currently being dismantled under the guise that safety is uneconomic?

s1artibartfastMay 27, 2026, 3:40 AM
Some of both, but but it still safer than ever. If someone thinks otherwise, they are just mindkilled.
SilverElfinMay 26, 2026, 9:47 PM
Apparently it’s a subsidiary of a Japanese paper products company:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nippon_Paper_Industries

I guess this subsidiary was a part of Weyerhaeuser before and was sold to Nippon Paper Industries 10 years ago:

https://investor.weyerhaeuser.com/2016-08-31-Weyerhaeuser-Co...